Better to Jump
by Cabbitshivers
Summary: This was it. Kaiba was going to kill him now. Either that or eat him. KxJ


BETTER TO JUMP

=

Jounouchi Katsuya took a deep breath, and held it. 

It sat there in his chest, his lungs pregnant with the pressure of it all, and still he could feel beneath it the swirling and churning of his nervousness. He hated feeling this way. It happened to him every time he went to do something that would expose himself in the slightest to anyone he didn't know. Before every duel the butterflies of discord and trepidation assaulted his insides, inducing him to feel closer to throwing up than he was ever comfortable with. Tonight was no exception. In fact, the nausea was so many times more worse than it had been in any duel he'd ever participated in - including the one that involved Yuugi, Anzu, a metal container suspended from a crane, and an anchor that he and Yuugi were chained to, set to drop into the water after a stupidly pitiful amount of time. And he was only in a crowded hall filled with drinking people that he didn't know, who were attending an end-of-the-year slash New Years business party he was not really supposed to be anywhere near. Oh, and Kaiba Seto, who was weaving amongst business associates and employees and was sure to kill him if he laid eyes upon him any time soon. 

He let the breath out through his nose, slowly, unconsciously trying to make as little noise as possible. His lungs felt achingly empty now, but it wasn't long before another deep breath of air filled them, stretching them until they could stretch no more, a small throb of pain in his sternum beating in time to the rhythm of his heart. Which was beating very, very fast, despite his deep breaths. 

He was lurking in the shadows that occupied one corner of the immense hall that Kaiba had commandeered for the Kaiba Corp. annual New Years party, feeling the nervousness and nausea become more and more pronounced as the moments passed and the pain in his chest grew.

Exhale. The feeling of being empty. Inhale. The pain of being too full. 

His eyes kept a close watch on the movements of the CEO of Kaiba Corporation, the tall intimidating figure as he wove in and out of the small but largely numerous groups of chatting businessmen, as he nodded and said a few words to any of those that he deemed worthy enough of such attention, and pushing himself back deeper into the corner's shadows if the powerful teenager happened to move a little too close to his location. Earlier, he had witnessed one of the milling businesswomen who seemed a little more drunk than the others he had seen moving around, reach out and grasp at the sleeve of Kaiba as he passed her by. Jounouchi's throat had tightened for a moment, as a swell of something very much like possessiveness rose up inside of him, but the feeling had been thrown off barely a second later when recognition of it was obtained, and the CEO across the room had shrugged his sleeve free from the bejewelled hand with an especially potent glare and what was no doubt a few choice sharp words. Jounouchi had smiled a small smile, then, the sort of which conveyed a gentle amusement and genuine understanding, but which faded hardly a moment later when he recalled the feeling that had surfaced earlier. 

Exhale. Kaiba was moving through the crowd up towards the stage. Inhale. The small prick of pain in his tightening chest, the sudden start as his heart skipped a beat. He started to move now, shifting his weight off of the wall where he was leaning and, still keeping to the shadows, making his way towards the front of the hall as well. He reached it just as Kaiba did, the tall CEO striding confidently up the steps to the stage while Jounouchi located the narrow door set in the shadowed wall, and pulled himself through it, closing it firmly behind him. 

The sounds from out in the hall were muffled for a few seconds as he moved about in the wing, finally becoming clear again as he opened another door that lead out onto the open wing area on stage, out of sight behind the curtains and shielded from the CEO's gaze by the shadows made even darker by the bright lights shining on the raised area. Here he leaned against the wall again, arms folded across his chest as if to keep the frantically fluttering butterflies from rolling around so much inside. The inside of his mouth was dry and felt like sandpaper against his tongue when he swallowed. If possible he felt even more nauseous now than he did before. He began to seriously doubt why he had even shown up at all. Once Kaiba saw him he was pretty much as good as dead. It was really too late to try and escape the party now, though, he realized, but if he somehow managed to survive the night with at least part of his consciousness still working he was sure as hell going to be demanding some answers out of the guy who had made him have to do this. He wasn't ready to show that part of himself, yet. Not to every person in the hall. Not to the blue-eyed CEO of Kaiba corp. either. 

Exhale. The heart sounds louder, heavier. Inhale. So fast, it picks up speed. 

Shrouded in the shadows, he watched with an intent, and very trepid gaze, as Kaiba stepped up to the microphone at the centre of the stage, and spoke to the gathered with his cool, richly textured voice that could instantly still anything that moved. It sent shivers down Jounouchi's spine each time he heard it, setting something aflame in his stomach each time that it was directed to him. 

"Thank you for attending the annual Kaiba Corporation New Years party. The past year has been a vast improvement from the year before's 7% drop in sales. We gained double what we had lost within the first four months, and since then have tripled the gain. Congratulations to you all. Your hard work has paid off. This next year looks to be better, for we will be releasing mid-March the Virtual World 3 VR game, and launching the first Virtual Movie Theatre in June. Enjoy the holidays, and the remainder of the party. The band tonight was selected by my brother Mokuba, and is called '_Fearing Omru_'. The band is only playing until eleven, and the hall will close at half-past. Be sure to leave before then. Good night." 

Exhale. Heavy. 

All throughout his short speech, Kaiba had spoken in a detached, cool manner, making no attempt to disguise that this party was nothing of importance to him. Jounouchi had felt the indifference in his voice as though it was a tangible thing, and it had helped to ease his nervousness somewhat. But as the CEO left the stage and the microphone stood free, the panic swelled up within him again. He jumped when he felt a tap on his shoulder, and turning his head he saw the bass player looking at him. Swallowing to wet his dry throat, he nodded to the older man and straightened up. Taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders, he gathered what courage he had and strode out onto the stage. Oh yes, the lead singer of '_Fearing_ _Omru_' was going to get an ear bashing after this night was over. 

Inhale. Deep. 

A moment later the lights in the hall were dimmed, and the ones on the stage made a little brighter. Then the music was playing. And then he had no choice but to sing. 

Exhale. Hell. This was a bad, _bad_ situation. Kaiba was looking at him. He couldn't read his expression. It was one he was unfamiliar of. It was probably shock. He'd never seen Kaiba looking shocked before. It was bad. Very, very _bad_. 

What was worse, however, was that the song was one of his own. And he had to sing it. _Now_. 

Deep breath. 

"_'History never repeats.' _

_ I tell myself before I go to sleep._

_ Don't say the words you might regret_

_ I lost before - you know I can't forget_." 

Jounouchi managed another swallow, but found that dragging his eyes away from the deep blue of the CEO's was near impossible. His heart was beating so fast, and he was sure that everyone was going to hear its pounding through the microphone. Feeling a bit of his determination shining through, though, he forced himself to maintain a strong stare with the tall CEO, infusing it with a bit of defiance he always had lying around spare. If he was going to bomb Kaiba's New Years party, he was going to do it right, Jou-style. It didn't mean he wasn't still scared, though. After all, this song was partially about the guy he was currently maintaining eye contact with. 

"_There was a girl I used to know_

_ She dealt my love a savage blow_

_ I was so young, too blind to see,_

_ But anyway, that's history... _

"_I say 'History never repeats' _

_ I tell myself before I go to sleep._

_ Don't say the words you might regret._

_ I lost before - you know I can't forget_." 

Jounouchi felt a small bit of anger flush through him when Kaiba's face showed a hint of a smirk when he sang that last line. Although it wasn't about what the CEO was no doubt thinking about - which was obviously the one duel that he had had against Otogi Ryuugi where Jounouchi had lost badly and was forced into wearing a dog suit - the subject wasn't something to laugh at. The girl mentioned in the song had seriously hurt him when she had told him that she was just using him as a way to pass the time. He had never felt as low as he had then, at any other point in his life. Even when Otogi had kicked his ass in their duel, Jounouchi had still maintained some pride in himself. She had just left him feeling like the scum not even a single cell amoeba would want to live in. 

Glaring even more defiantly at the blue-eyed CEO, he decided that maybe it was time to take the song down from the stage. Flicking a glance down at the microphone, he was pleased to note that it was a cordless, so more than likely had an average transmission radius of thirty-five meters. When he lifted his eyes back to Kaiba's, he realized that by checking the microphone he had broken eye contact, but it didn't really matter so much, anymore. Now he was going to be putting Kaiba on the spot. 

Pulling the microphone free from the stand, he began to descend the steps down from the stage, once again keeping his eyes on Kaiba's. 

"_You say I always play the fool_

_ I can't go on if that's the rule._

_ Better to jump, than hesitate._

_ I need a change, and I can't wait._

"_'History never repeats'_

_ I tell myself before I go to sleep_

_ There's a light shining in the dark_

_ Leading me on towards a change of heart._" 

He was pretty much no more than two meters away from Kaiba now, still approaching the tall blue-eyed teen with the same slow, swaying gait he had used to descend the stairs with. He still couldn't read the unfamiliar emotion in Kaiba's eyes, and his completely blank expression gave no clues at all. Behind him he could hear the bass and electric player's voices rise up as they sang the back up. He was ready to sing the next chorus as he continued to saunter right past Kaiba's ramrod-still figure, still maintaining the eye contact until the angle pulled at his eyes and he was forced to look away. 

"_History never repeats._

_ History never repeats_."

"_Deep in the night it's all so clear_

_ I lie awake with great ideas._

_ Lurking about in no-man's land._

_ I think at last, I understand_." 

He came around the CEO, and then stood up face-to-face with him, barely a foot's length between both of their faces. 

"_'History never repeats'_

_ I tell myself before I go to sleep_

_ There's a light shining in the dark_

_ Leading me on towards a change of heart_." 

And then Jounouchi smiled. 

The carefully blank expression on Kaiba's face fell beneath the small wave of shock that washed over his features, and whatever unknown emotion that had been in his eyes flared even brighter and became something else entirely. Now this emotion Jounouchi knew, it was one that he recognized, and saw within a great many peoples gazes everyday, though never before had he ever seen it aimed at him. Once he thought he had, but it had only been a lie. 

His smile fell. He had only used it to prove to the CEO that he wasn't afraid of him. The response that he had gotten was _not_ one that he had been expecting. Quickly he looked away, turning his face from the blue-eyed teens, trying to keep his suddenly flaming cheeks from being seen. Kaiba was _not_ supposed to have looked at him that way. Not with _that_ emotion in his eyes. He began to turn, to head back up to the stage for the next song as the current one was heading to a close. A hand grasped his arm, however, and caused him to stop. 

Jounouchi looked down at the long fingers wrapped around his wrist, then followed them up the arm they were attached to, to find himself once again locked into a staring contest with the blue eyes of Kaiba Seto. There was another weight on his other hand, the one holding the microphone, and then there was a quiet 'click' as Kaiba switched it off. Barely a second later Jounouchi was starting, as Kaiba's head dipped down and his cheek was pressed against his. 

"You're mine, puppy." The textured voice of Kaiba whispered into his ear. "You're not leaving here until I talk to you." 

Jounouchi could feel his eyes widen in his face, and he hoped he didn't appear too startled to anyone who was observing, which was no doubt more than two thirds of the hall's occupants. 

"I presume that there is another who can sing in your place?" 

Jounouchi, speechless, could only manage a nod. 

"Good." Kaiba continued to whisper. "Go and inform them that you are leaving, then come back here." The tall CEO straightened giving Jounouchi the room to move, and took a step back. 

Jounouchi looked up at him, still unable to speak, his face flushed and a glazed look to his amber eyes. Against his ribcage his heart beat to a frantic rhythm, and his breath, which he realized that he'd been holding ever since Kaiba had _looked_ at him, whooshed out of him loudly. He nodded, still feeling the heat of Kaiba's cheek pressed against his flaming face. Damn, he was _still_ blushing. Quickly, Jounouchi nodded again, realizing that he must look like a total idiot just standing there and gaping up at Kaiba, and turned back towards the stage where he could see the other band members of '_Fearing Omru_' watching and waiting for him. He walked up towards them, somewhat surprised that his legs were working at all, the microphone in his fingers and his wrists still tingling with the pressure from Kaiba's hands. 

That damn bastard had _claimed_ him. 

The lead electric's eyes looked at him curiously as he ascended the stairs up onto the stage. "_What's up?_" he mouthed. 

Jounouchi shrugged, hoping he didn't look as flustered as he felt. "You'll have to sing the rest." He told him. His voice sounded strangely breathless. "Kaiba-san wants to speak to me." 

"What, now?" 

Jounouchi shrugged again, averting his face. "Yeah." Offstage, down in the crowd he could see the blue-eyed CEO watching him, his long arms folded over his chest. 

"Well, okay. Inopportune moment, but, whatever." The lead guitarist nodded at him, then turned back to shift his microphone up the stage a ways. 

Jounouchi fidgeted under the lights for a moment before turning around and heading back down the stairs. He dared to look up at the bottom of them and caught the piercing eyes of Kaiba again, who was cutting sharply through the throngs of businesspeople towards him. He felt a sudden surge of panic grip him at the sight of that tall figure striding in his direction, but his legs were already heading on that bearing and he was far too nervous to try and make them take him another way. 

He stopped just before the brown haired CEO reached him, looking up and holding his breath as the tall teen halted barely an arms length away. The azure blue eyes that could drill holes into anything were currently running their way across his body, and Jounouchi grit his teeth tightly to keep from fidgeting, hollows appearing in his cheeks from the pressure. He wasn't going to be made to squirm. He wasn't going to be made to squirm. Oh, hell, he was squirming. That rich bastard's cold eyes were just so hot where they raked across his body. The stupid rich bastard was just plain hot altogether. The prick. 

"Forget something, puppy?" The cool voice asked him, and Jounouchi realized with a start that the inspection was over and that Kaiba was now looking him directly into his eyes. 

Jounouchi swallowed nervously, confused at the question. After a moment of silence he shook his head. "I don't think so. Why?" 

Kaiba's eyes once again dropped down low over his body, then flicked back up to his face. "The microphone, pup." 

Jounouchi felt one of his eyebrows rise a notch, and as he looked down and saw that, yes, he was still carrying the microphone; he felt a groan rise up in his throat. 

"Stupid." He muttered to himself. He turned around yet again to return up to the stage and put the microphone back on its stand, and yet again Kaiba's hand on his arm stopped him. 

"Yes, you are." Kaiba's voice told him. A sharp tug on his arm pulled his body back around to face Kaiba. The CEO was looking at him with those eyes partially shuttered again, just a small vague amount of emotion peeking through. "Just put the microphone on a table. I want to get out of here now, mutt." 

Jounouchi looked around for the nearest table and then did as he was told. 

"Don't call me mutt." He said when he returned. 

Jounouchi wasn't looking at Kaiba so he missed the flash of emotion in the blue eyes that were watching him. "Oh, so the pup is finally going to show his teeth. I was wondering how long it would take you. Come on." 

"Shut up, Kaiba." Jounouchi replied. He walked to the side and slightly behind of the CEO. Kaiba had longer legs and was using them very efficiently to leave the party hall. Jounouchi was having a little trouble matching his stride. "Where are we going, anyway?" 

"To my limousine." Kaiba replied. 

Jounouchi almost stopped walking, but the peculiar motion was not observed by Kaiba, as the taller teen led the way out of the hall and into the foyer. 

"Why?" Jounouchi asked. 

"For privacy." Came the CEO's voice over his shoulder. 

"Umm…" 

Kaiba stopped where he was and turned around, Jounouchi coming to a sudden halt to keep from walking into him. Kaiba's blue eyes were shadowed by his hair, but what colour peeked through was vibrant and arresting, lit by the stark strobe lighting on the ceiling. Jounouchi once again found it hard to look away from the hidden secret that was seeping through their colour, promising him a glimpse of things he might, or might not want to see, whatever the case turned out to be. 

"Again, why?" Jounouchi asked after a moment, made even more on edge from Kaiba's silence and unwavering stare. 

The blue eyes darkened even further. From back inside the hall the sound of '_Fearing Omru_' starting up a new song came through the walls, muffled but still easily heard. Kaiba spoke threateningly low, but clearly above the noise. 

"What I am going to say to you, mutt, I'm sure you don't want an audience for. Especially not those barking hyenas in there," He inclined his dark head in the direction of where the music was coming from. "Who would not hesitate to tell every news agent in Domino _exactly___ what was said and have it printed nation-wide in all of the newspapers tomorrow morning. You wouldn't want to have reporters on your doorstep, would you, mutt?" 

Jounouchi stared at him for a moment, and then shook his head. 

"Then shut up and keep moving." 

Again, Kaiba took up his long-legged gait that swallowed up the meters, Jounouchi following along behind having to skip every seven steps or so to keep within a few feet of him. Within half a minute they were out of the building and in the rear parking lot, where close to the tall glass doors was parked a black limousine. Kaiba strode over to the vehicle, stepping smoothly over the concrete dividers around the rear entranceway and pulled open one of the back doors, the shiny black metal reflecting a streak of light from the building. 

"Get in." He ordered Jounouchi, who was still standing by the glass doors. 

Jounouchi fidgeted, unsure if he should be so obedient to Kaiba's orders anymore, but the intense stare the blue-eyed CEO was giving him really gave him no choice. If he didn't get into the car to hear what Kaiba was going to say, then he'd say it outside. No one happened to be around at the moment, but Jounouchi had no idea how long it would take Kaiba to tell him what he wanted to, nor how loud the taller teen was going to be. And whatever it was he was going to say was bound to be embarrassing. Kaiba hadn't done a thing yet that was ever benefiting to Jounouchi's welfare. Shifting his weight in nervousness again, he caught the flash of welling annoyance in Kaiba's eyes and made up his mind. 

Stepping over one of the concrete dividers, he moved over towards the limousine, not meeting Kaiba's eyes as he passed him and ducked down to enter into the vehicle. It smelt like leather cleaner inside, and white ginger, and the black leather upholstered seat squeaked beneath him as he sat. Another weight settled on the seat beside him, and then there was a rush of displaced air as the door was shut with a soft 'whump'. As Jounouchi settled back against the soft leather seat, he became aware of just what sort of situation he had put himself in, and the second thoughts came rushing back in a flood. He turned to the CEO next to him, his mouth opening to tell him that he'd changed his mind and that he wanted to get out when he saw the look that now burned, unconcealed, in Kaiba's blue eyes. It made him shut up. Quick.

In the blue orbs flared something that the blonde-haired boy had thought he'd seen earlier, the same thing that had caused him to blush and flounder like an idiot. Hunger. Kaiba's eyes were hungry, and they were looking straight at Jounouchi. 

His brown eyes widened in realization, and his lips parted again, speaking the words he knew he should've choked on as soon as they left his mouth. 

"You want me." 

The following blanch was quick, as was the slight curl and duck back further into the seat. 

Kaiba just continued to watch him with those slowly burning eyes. 

Jounouchi pushed back deeper into the soft seat, Kaiba's silence chilling him nearly to the bone with fear. This was it. Kaiba was going to kill him now. Either that or eat him. 

The leather squeaked as Kaiba shifted slightly, leaning over towards where Jounouchi was pushed almost into the corner of the backseat. "Mutt," He said. 

"Yeah?" Jounouchi asked warily, eyeing the CEO as he continued to lean evermore closer. 

"Shut up." 

And then the distance between them was closed, and Kaiba's mouth captured Jounouchi's, slightly parted to tell the CEO to go to hell. There was a long pause of stillness where the pressure of the kiss stayed firm, where everything remained locked in place, and where Jounouchi's shocked blinks were all that transpired. Then there was a moan, who from indiscernible, and the motionlessness of the bodies broke, arms and legs unfolding to make room for each other. More and more kisses were added, bodies and weights shifting, rearranging, until Jounouchi was laid flat against the seat, pressed into the soft leather by the mass of Kaiba who lay on top of him, his mouth open and wet beneath the lips that plundered his. Their tongues mated, and after long minutes of weightless moans and shallow breaths, Kaiba pulled himself away. He held himself above Jounouchi, their chests still pressed together and his weight upon his elbows. 

"Katsuya?" He said, and Jounouchi's eyes opened in shock at hearing his given name. "I liked your song." 

Jounouchi looked up at him, and his brown eyes were full of kisses and questions. "It's partly about you." He replied. 

"The second verse?" 

"And the third." 

"Two verses." Kaiba said, a small smile in his voice. "I merit that much?" 

"Yeah." Jounouchi answered. His fingers brushed gently along Kaiba's side. The CEO gasped, and wiggled a little. Jounouchi smiled at the response. 

"I jumped." Kaiba said suddenly. 

Jounouchi's smile sweetened. "Yeah." 

The blue eyes delved deep into honeyed brown. "Go out with me?" 

And the honeyed brown became water-stained. "Yeah." 

There was another long kiss, and then more silence where only the eyes mated and the mouths stayed fixed in smiles. Then; 

"Seto?" 

"Hm?" Kaiba replied. 

"I like you a lot, ya know?" 

"Yeah." 

-THE END-

** A/N **– Bwahahahaha! My first –_REAL_- Yu-Gi-Oh Shounen-ai! I'm so pleased with myself! Its so kroozie (intentional misspelling), and abstract, and… well… not exciting in the least, but hey, it wasn't supposed to be. I particularly like the end. You probably don't, but I'm in a very abstract mood and I think it suits the abstract plot-line fine. Flame me for it and I'll abuse _your_ ass. Just be a **dumbass** and flame **logged in**, please, so I can get you banned for bad conduct. ^.^

** DISCLAIMER(S)**

YU-GI-OH – I own nothing to do with Yu-Gi-Oh. That includes all merchandise (save for my odd cards I use as payment for request fics) and characters, plot-lines, DVD's, etc. 

HISTORY NEVER REPEATS – I don't own this song, either. It was written by the band "Split Enz" (Tim Finn, Neil Finn, Eddie Rayner, Noel Crombie, Nigel Griggs, and Malcolm Green.) and released on the Mushroom albums "Waiata"/ "Corroboree"/ "The Best of Split Enz – History Never Repeats". I have used it without permission, but I'm sure the guys don't care. I could ask Neil next time I see him in the supermarket, though.

FEARING OMRU – I own this. Steal at own risk. Ask before use. ^.^


End file.
